January 22, 2010

Maryland League of Conservation Voters Endorse Governor O’Malley

I’ve always had a mixed opinion of O’Malley, strong on clean energy and global warming, but weak on development and land use policies(which inevitably impact the global warming bit). Says the right things, and follows through on half of them. I’ll give my thoughts on whether or not environmental groups should endorse him later in the year. LCV has just endorsed him earlier than they have for any gubernatorial candidate. Here is their press release. You can also read pieces from The Baltimore Sun, and the Washington Post. Below are the accomplishments by O’Malley that MDLCV lays out in its press release.

· His leadership in the passage of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act, giving Maryland one of

the strongest global warming caps in the nation, and the creation of the Commission on Climate Change

have cemented our role as a national leader in this area.

· Governor O’Malley’s innovative Bay Stat program is a national model for accountability and shows

how government can work better to meet specific challenges.

· His ambitious plans to help reverse the long decline in the state’s historic role as an oyster mecca and his

work across state lines to address the frightening decline in the blue crab population was important and

long overdue.

· The public is receiving real financial incentives to embrace renewable energy sources such as solar

creating new clean energy job opportunities.

· An environmentally sensitive Purple Line in the Washington D.C. suburbs of Montgomery and Prince

George’s Counties and the Red Line in Baltimore are on the move to improve transportation, reduce